


Feathered Masks

by vinetini



Category: Fire Emblem Heroes, Fire Emblem Series
Genre: Book 3 Spoilers, Drabble Collection, M/M, Multi, prompt collection
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-23
Updated: 2018-12-17
Packaged: 2019-08-28 03:15:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,163
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16715573
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vinetini/pseuds/vinetini
Summary: A collection of prompts for Alfonse/Bruno, Alfonse/Kiran and Kiran/Bruno. Individual chapters for individual prompts and ships.





	1. “Why did you disappear on me?” Bruno/Kiran

**Author's Note:**

> Chapter 1 Prompt: "“Why did you disappear on me?” (from fyotpprompts). Bruno/Kiran

"It's been quite a while. Why did you disappear on me, on us?"

Bruno sighed, slowly looking over to the robed tactician sweating in the Muspell heat in front of him. It was the first he'd seen of the other in months, alongside the rest of the Order of Heroes. Tasked with both finding a cure for his affliction and then later discovering Veronica's perilous state had left him on the run without pause until he had encountered  them himself. They'd entered the castle and resulted in saving the two young girls, only just managing to catch a breath. The Order organized a final approach on Surtr with Veronica and Ylgr safely by their sides; the Nifl Princess talking a mile a minute while his younger sister looked much like she had a swallowed a lemon. He couldn't help but stifle a laugh at the sight.

Still, it was uncomfortable being with the Order again. He was finding it difficult to look the Askran siblings for long stretches of time, even if he had assured Alfonse that he had never forgotten their time together. Anna seemed sympathetic and yet slightly wary; he could barely fault her for it. He had keep himself in check so far, but his blood roiled at any vulnerable moment. He could not afford to stay with them for much longer; the slightest lapse of control would be disastrous, especially with the siblings of Nifl bearing witness to his potential insanity. 

And Kiran? He was something else entirely. There was a strange tension between them; not unpleasant, but different all the same. He couldn't afford to look too deeply into it.

"The further I am away from the Order, the better. You had other pressing problems anyways, did you not? I heard you were dealing with the safety of Nifl. There was no need to stretch yourselves even thinner worrying about my curse."

"Says the man who went out of his way to save Prince Hrid."

"Would you rather I left him to burn?"

"Obviously not" Kiran replied, frustration evident in his tone as he crossed his arms.

Bruno raised an eyebrow. The other seemed flustered - surely he'd come to lecture the other and then leave?

"I... I was just..." the other mumbles, teeth biting at his lower lips nervously.

"Just what?"

"Worried. I... was thinking about you, alone for so long, no one to help you if the blood took over or if you were badly injured..." the other admitted sheepishly, bangs falling into his eyes as he looked down.

Bruno fell silent, digesting this statement with mixed feeling of gratitude and guilt. Gratitude that the other had been thinking about him... guilt at the same admittance. 

Why? Why did all these people care about him when he obviously didn't deserve it? When he was a powder keg that could explode at any given moment? Kiran didn't even have the excuse of growing up with him like the Order! And he already had dozens of Heroes to look after - why give a care towards a curse-blighted bastard who threatened his friends' lives?

He swallowed his turbulent thoughts down. 

"It is not your job to worry about me."

"It doesn't have to be. I can care for people outside my Heroes, you know."

"You can't save everyone!" Bruno spoke through gritted teeth, gesturing toward himself with a gloved hand.

"I can't save everyone, but I want to save you. By any means necessary" the other countered, eyes brimming with determination.

Bruno laughed derisively. He felt vaguely nauseous.

"You're a fool to get attached when you're going to be the one to put me down, Summoner."

"I know there's a chance of that, but you can't give up already for goodness sake! Just because you want to-" Kiran growled, face pinching in anger.

"So what if I do!? It's my life, not yours and I've had more than enough of it!"

"You promised you would try to live! What about Sharena and Alfonse, a-and there's still worlds we haven't discovered, somewhere might-"

"Why do you think I gave up my search to come here? I knew there was a damn good chance you would have saved Veronica anyways, I came because I'm _dying_ and I-"

"Hey! What's going on?!"

Both men stopped, snapped out of their argument. Sharena stood there, mouth gaping and green eyes shooting back and forth between the two of them.

"Nothing" both of them answered at the same time, Kiran flushing at the answer in complete synchronization.

"Riiiiight. Well if you're done having a yelling match, Alfonse wanted to talk to you about using fliers in the next battle Kir" Sharena replied, looking thoroughly unconvinced by their answer.

"A-ah, right. I'll be there in just a second" Kiran smiled sheepishly, watching Sharena roll her eyes good-naturedly.

She sent one last curious glance towards Bruno - he stared back, not wanting to give anything away. Sighing, she walked off, leaving the two alone in awkward silence. Bruno pinched the bridge of his nose, regret washing over him as the other looked down in embarrassment, nervously playing with a frayed strand on his cloak. Surely pushing the other away was the right thing to do, afflicted as he was?

He was having a hard time convincing himself. 

"I am sorry. I know you mean well when you want to help" he offered the other, trying to convey even an ounce of his complicated feelings.

Kiran sucked in a sharp breath, refusing to make eye contact. 

"You're going to disappear again after this, aren't you?"

Silence was his answer.

 


	2. "first crush." Alfonse/Bruno

Until Zacharias had appeared, Alfonse had known and cared little for the romantic side of love.

He understood family love; the tender way his mother sung to him on nights when he was younger and afraid of the dark, or the time a neighboring royal had made fun of Alfonse's interest in history and Sharena had smacked him in the face (which hardly went down well with their Father). But the nuances of romance had never really interested him; as much as he loved reading, he steered far clear of Sharena's garish romance novels with a swooning maiden on the front. He was more than content with his books and his sword, pursuing the path of becoming the best prince he could be. He could worry about courtships and arranged marriages when he was older, right? No one had an interest in him anyways; he was used to the comments of 'dry', 'dull' and 'boring' behind his back from other neighboring royal heirs.

It was fine. He wasn't looking for anyone's approval, and he was perfectly content to read alone in the library by himself for hours or train all afternoon with a straw dummy. Alfonse was fine with the way things were. Or he was.

Zacharias didn't say his books were boring - he shared them in kind and they would recommend interesting novels to each other. He didn't turn up his nose when Alfonse would talk for 20 minutes on the history of traditional Askr cuisine; he would listen in rapt attention and offer his own knowledge in turn. They shared the love of their weapons and spent many free days sparring, Zacharias teaching him the most efficient ways to best a lance against his natural disadvantage. And Sharena never smacked Zacharias in the face, because, well, they were just as close. They carried on like this for years, many golden afternoons spent in each others companies with light and laughter. A friend, an ally, a sparring mate all in one - the siblings never wanted him to leave. Zacharias didn't seem keen on returning on where he had come from (one of the few things he remained tight-lipped about) and Alfonse and Sharena were more than happy for him to stay.

Zacharias became as precious to him as his books and his sister and his sword.

It wasn't until he grew older than Alfonse realized his feelings towards Zacharias were becoming slightly less platonic and something more... gods, he didn't know what. All he knew was that things he had never noticed about Zacharias before like the silky smooth strands of his hair or the warm shine in his eyes were becoming readily more of interest to him. He could barely hold back a gape when Zacharias removed his shirt for sparring (when did the other manage to become so broad?!) and stuttered in his words whenever Zacharias sent him a particularly kind smile. He'd never felt such a strange mix of warmth and confusion around the other... or around anyone else.

It was honestly inconvenient at times - he had ruined one afternoon when Zacharias had promised to teach him the basic thrusts of the lance. He'd been concentrating on his grip on the weapon until the older teen had sauntered over and gently taken the other's hand in his own, smoothly re-arranging the other's fingers into a better stance.

"Try that" Zacharias stated, smiling down at the other.

"Uh, er, right. Right!" Alfonse replied a beat too late, face red as looked down as to where their hands were joined on the hilt.

He'd been so embarrassed and flustered the entire lesson that they'd given up early as he could barely keep a hold on the shining weapon; Zacharias had laughed and said Alfonse was probably too used to the sword to re-arrange his grip in a new style. Alfonse had guiltily agreed, knowing it had nothing to do with the lance and everything with the comforting warm weight of the other's calloused palms on his own.

Confused and desperate, he sought out his sister in his room, relaying everything that had happened over the last few weeks that had made him feel so strange.

Sharena cackled in his face.

"What?!" Alfonse replied, annoyed as his sister continued giggling and wiped a tear from her eye.

"Al, you are SO oblivious!" she snickered, giving him an amused look.

"Apparently..." he grumbled, crossing his arms as he waited for his sister to stop chuckling.

"All right, all right... It's just too funny! After all this time and you don't realize what's happening?" she countered, raising an eyebrow.

"I don't follow you" he said, confused.

"You have a _crush_ on him, you dummy!"

"W-what?!" he spluttered, completely thrown as he stared at his sister.

"The longing glances, the suddenly finding him attractive, the holding hands... this is basic stuff, brother of mine!" she giggled, grinning at his dumbstruck expression.

"I don't-" Alfonse started indignantly, only to realize that his feelings indeed matched all these things.

He turned red.

Gods. He had a crush on Zacharias.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this was supposed to be a kiralfonse chapter. then i lost all 1700 words thanks to pc malfunction and now i can't be bothered to rewrite it without feeling depressed.
> 
> so here's zachfonse/brufonse a chapter early! woo


	3. 'Confidence' Alfonse/Kiran

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Confidence" Alfonse/Kiran, based off the second Book 3 chapter

Kiran felt incredibly awkward.

All of the Order had just watched Gustav tear into Alfonse publicly, the King lambasting his son over his lack of foresight and attempts at being a Hero. Kiran winced through the whole speech, watching Alfonse stutter and turn red under the relentless barrage of criticism from his father; for one horrible moment he saw Alfonse become briefly teary-eyed, though he blinked it back and continued to nod at his father dully as the other continued to criticize him.

Kiran wanted to tell the King to lay off his son, and that Alfonse was the finest prince they had ever met (and considering the increasing amount of royalty summoned to the Order, that said a lot). However, Kiran also knew he was only staying in Askr thanks to the royal family's good graces... he didn't want to get the Order or Anna into any trouble by mouthing off to their monarch who he barely interacted with. So he sat in mute indignation and let Alfonse walk off alone after it was done (the other making a feeble excuse about going to the library, despite Kiran knowing he was heading up the stairs instead of the ground floor where the reading rooms were located). Sharena looked guilty, twisting her hands together and looking around with a sad gaze. Anna had said nothing; but her mouth was set in a straight line.

Eventually they retired back to the castle for a short and slightly strained tactics discussion; Alfonse had not reappeared and Anna seemed tense with every movement she made. Sharena offered little, looking worried; if things escalated, the two siblings might not be part of the Order much longer. Kiran muddled through it as best he could, though his mind was elsewhere. His thoughts were not on their new enemies and their next location, but rather the crestfallen way Alfonse had looked when his father had appeared on the battlefield with his knights.

They wrapped the meeting up quickly, Anna unhappy with their progress but unsure of what they could do next with the possibility of Alfonse and Sharena not coming to their next battle. Sharena mumbled something about talking to their mother and walked off, the usual skip in her step completely gone. Anna and Kiran looked at each other unhappily over the meetings table; neither of them wanted an Order without their Askran siblings, nor were they happy with the way Gustav had dismissed Sharena so easily as if she was nothing.

It was neither of their places to question a King. That didn't mean they weren't happy about it.

"I think I'll go visit Alfonse..." Kiran said, sighing as he wrote down his last notes in his tactics book.

Anna nodded, resigned. He hated seeing her like this; the twinkle in her eye was gone and her confidence muted. He hated seeing all of them brought so low, and a small part of him was starting to hate King Gustav.

Shaking off that thought, he turned and headed up the white set of stairs at the end of the hall. He'd seen Alfonse climb them hours earlier, which made it likely he had retired to his room alone. It was unusual at this time of day considering he would usually practice his swordsmanship in the courtyard; King Gustav's words had shaken him badly it seemed. He knew the King had a point, even if he thought the other too harsh. Kiran had told Alfonse on several occasions to not put himself in danger at the expense of a Hero, who could be summoned again. Unlike their friends from far off worlds, if Alfonse was killed in battle.... he would not come back. Yet Kiran would not tell the other he could not continue battling with the Order, nor would he want to. 

Shaking his head, Kiran emerged from the stairs and turned right down a far corridor, sunlight streaming through the high windows as he made his way towards Alfonse's room at the end of the corridor. From here, there was a beautiful view of the castle town but Kiran was hardly in the mood for it; he raised a hand and knocked gently on the door twice.

Silence.

"Who is it?"

Kiran's gut twisted. Alfonse sounded empty of emotion from behind the door.

"Just me, Al. Can I come in?"

"...Alright."

Kiran gently moved the door open, peering into the darkened room; Alfonse had thrown curtains across his window and had no candles lit. The man in question was sitting on his bed, devoid of armor and a carefully neutral expression plastered on his face. Kiran saw no reading material or distractions by the bed; sadly it seemed that Alfonse had been in here alone, stewing in his emotions. He walked forward into the room, not quite sure of what to say now that he was here.

"Can I help you, Kiran?" Alfonse said politely, voice wavering only slightly.

"Well, it's... can I sit down?" Kiran said, flustered.

Alfonse nodded, patting the bed beside him and giving the other a brief smile. Feeling slightly more confident, Kiran took a tentative seat behind him on the soft duvet.

"I just wanted to say, about what your father said-"

"We don't need to talk about that" Alfonse cut in quickly, immediately tense with slumped shoulders now ramrod straight.

"Well, I want to. Hear me out" Kiran persisted, seeing the wariness in the others eyes.

 He took a deep breath, and placed a comforting hand on Alfonse's shoulder. The prince's eyes widened, looking into Kiran's eyes questioningly.

"Alfonse, I think you're a hero. My opinion obviously means far less than the King's, but he hasn't been by your side all this time. I've seen you fight alongside heroes from many worlds and protect those who are vulnerable from harm. I've seen you trying to save Zacharias with all your heart even though you haven't seen each other for years. I've seen you fight every ounce of your strength for the people of Nifl, even if they aren't your own. And... I've seen you win the respect of heroes from hundreds of worlds. You try **so hard** , Al. I want you to know even if I'm just a nobody without my divine weapon, that I think you're amazing. I happily leave my life in your hands every time we march to battle and I wouldn't have it any other way."

 Alfonse gaped, listening in mute shock as Kiran finished up his speech. He had more to say in all honesty, but he didn't want to overwhelm the other. Now finished, he smiled tentatively at the other hoping for a positive reaction.

Alfonse looked down at the floor, face inscrutable.

"You really mean that...?" he whispered.

"Absolutely" replied Kiran without a trace of doubt.

"And... you still want me in the Order of Heroes?"

"Don't you dare think of quitting! I'll refuse to go out without you" Kiran grinned, nudging the other teasingly.

Alfonse chuckled softly at that, looking back up at the other. Kiran was relived to see his azure eyes shining with mirth.

"I dread to think what my father will say about my troublesome Summoner, breaking the rules as he pleases."

"What can I say? I'm a rebel!" Kiran shrugged his shoulders, heart lightening at Alfonse's laughter.

"Well... rebel or not, I'm lucky to have you by my side. Thank you for the encouragement, Kiran". 

"Of course. I take being your 'precious partner' very seriously" Kiran said with a grin, giggling as the other's face went red. 

"I shouldn't have said that..." Alfonse grumbled, leaning up against the other anyway,

"I thought it was sweet" Kiran cooed, laughing at the incredulous look the other shot him.

As Alfonse settled against him further and started talking about the history of King Lif, Kiran felt his heart lighten. He'd managed to cheer the other up, enough so that he felt well enough to launch into one of his spontaneous history lessons which Kiran found very endearing. He smiled, the comforting weight of Alfonse against his shoulder and the other's calm, confident voice a balm for his worries. All he wanted was to see the Askran siblings happy and Alfonse free from his anxieties or self-doubt. 

_"No matter what happens... I will protect him"_

 

**Author's Note:**

> If I don't practice my writing I get super rusty, but I have no fic plans as of this moment (maybe when Book 3 releases we'll have some cool ideas to work with?) so here's some quick prompts and drabbles for the combination of my 3 fave pairings! These are mostly writing practice and not all of them will be polished, but I hope you enjoy anyways. If anyone has an interesting prompt they'd like to recommend, I'd sure welcome it in the comments :)
> 
> This is also my custom Kiran, long brown hair in a ponytail, red eyes, he/him. He's an optimist but a bit shy and loves drawing in his time off (which is practically never, so he scribbles in his tactics book instead). I might do gender neutral pronoun Kiran in some chapters if I'm not specifically using my Kiran! We're also going off the assumption that Alfonse had a crush on Bruno/Zach when he was younger. Every chapter will be at a different stage in their relationship as well.


End file.
